March112018

Named for its shape, which comes to one of Sellers’ signature sharp
points and pricks the sky, this was the first house of the Prickly
Mountain era. As the original case study, it was built with no
blueprints beyond a rough sketch of the foundation — and with Sellers
and his classmate Bill Rienecke acting as client, developer, architect,
and contractor. Stairs appeared where they made sense, Plexiglas formed
windows that conformed to the curves and angles of the walls, and
cast-off materials became aesthetic focal points.

Not without its quirks (like a refrigerator jutting outside through
the wall) and ultra-high stairs that have been known to trip people up,
it was the beginning of the design/build movement. One of the defining
characteristics of the design/build movement is the way structures grow
organically. Sinks are shaped to fit their environment; Plexiglas
windows curve based on need. Interiors follow the same sensibility, and
the space becomes an aesthetic hodgepodge. Exteriors showcase the
inventive geometry that dominates homes on Prickly Mountain. Inside, a
staircase twists and turns with abnormally large steps to get from below
to above.

March022018

March112018

Named for its shape, which comes to one of Sellers’ signature sharp
points and pricks the sky, this was the first house of the Prickly
Mountain era. As the original case study, it was built with no
blueprints beyond a rough sketch of the foundation — and with Sellers
and his classmate Bill Rienecke acting as client, developer, architect,
and contractor. Stairs appeared where they made sense, Plexiglas formed
windows that conformed to the curves and angles of the walls, and
cast-off materials became aesthetic focal points.

Not without its quirks (like a refrigerator jutting outside through
the wall) and ultra-high stairs that have been known to trip people up,
it was the beginning of the design/build movement. One of the defining
characteristics of the design/build movement is the way structures grow
organically. Sinks are shaped to fit their environment; Plexiglas
windows curve based on need. Interiors follow the same sensibility, and
the space becomes an aesthetic hodgepodge. Exteriors showcase the
inventive geometry that dominates homes on Prickly Mountain. Inside, a
staircase twists and turns with abnormally large steps to get from below
to above.